I showered and changed as quickly as I could manage, and text messaged Penny to tell her that I would meet her for dinner in an hour. Then I called Mac.

  “Danbury McDonough,” I said clearly as I depressed the voice button.

  “Hello?” he answered his communicator on the first ring.

  “Hey, where are you? I want to ask you something.”

  “I am in my office,” he answered.

  “Mind if I come over?”

  “That would be fine; I am just finishing some work,” he replied.

  “Be there in a minute.” I pushed the end button on my communicator and set off.

  I reached the administration building ten minutes later. It was already dinnertime, so Mac’s assistant was gone. I walked past her desk and knocked lightly on his door.

  “Come on in, Natalia,” he called.

  Pushing the heavy oak door open, I shuffled into the room.

  “I hope this relates to the spy in our midst?” he said, giving me a tired look.

  Immediately, I felt bad about approaching him with what I’d thought was a brilliant idea just an hour ago. Now, under his hard gaze, I wasn’t so sure.

  “Not exactly,” I began slowly, gauging his reaction.

  “Natalia,” he started, but I cut him off before I lost my nerve.

  “I want to personally train Kenly Baker to help her become a Hunter.” I waited anxiously for Mac to say something. He just stared at me for several long moments with blank gray eyes, causing me to shift uneasily from one foot to the other.

  “I don’t think that is a productive use of your time, Natalia,” he finally answered, turning his attention back to the work on his desk.

  “No, but it is, Mac. Kenly is a Higher Reasoning Talent and a Telekinetic. I think that her Talents could actually be really useful in the field, if she could just learn how to fight. If she were adequately trained in hand-to-hand combat and weapons, she’d be an asset,” I replied earnestly.

  “Natalia, there is a reason that Higher Reasoning Talents are never placed with the Hunters. They don’t belong there,” he answered harshly, not looking up from his paperwork.

  “I know, I know. I know that she’ll need a lot of work before her Placement Exams, but I think that she could be really great,” I pressed, imploring him to come around to my way of thinking. “And Telekinetics frequently become Hunters.”

  “Dual Talents are rarely strong in both areas. If she is a strong Higher Reasoning Talent, then her Telekinetic abilities are likely weak,” he stated.

  “But I don’t think that they are. I think she just needs to learn how to use them better. And she only needs to be ranked Elite in one to be considered for the Hunters,” I pointed out proudly.

  Mac spared me a withering look before returning his gaze to his desk. He apparently wasn’t as impressed with the loophole in the system as I was.

  “She will never be able to catch up—her exams are at the end of this year. You won’t have the time to strengthen her senses and teach her to fight well enough to qualify for placement with the Hunters. And even if you could, by some miracle, manage such a feat, she’ll never make it through her Pledge year without continuous training. Besides, her skills are better used in other departments.”

  I gritted my teeth and held firm. “I know, Mac, but she has a lot of heart and really wants this. It won’t interfere with my other duties,” I promised. “Maybe I could even stop aiding in Donavon’s class?” I continued hopefully.

  “The way I understand it, the two of you have been getting along much better in the past couple of days. Why would you want to stop helping him?” Mac asked, finally finding the conversation worthy of looking up from his work.

  “It’s getting me nowhere,” I replied emphatically. “We both know that Donavon isn’t the spy, and I haven’t heard anything in the minds of his students that seems off. Maybe I could even spend that time in the Crypto Bank with Penny, going through more files,” I offered.

  “Really? You want to spend more time sifting through files? I was under the impression that you weren’t exactly thrilled with that portion of your assignment.”

  “Well, no, not exactly. But I have a feeling that’s the place where I’m most likely to find the spy. If you want, I can even stop helping Griffin since he isn’t our guy either.”

  Mac mulled this over for a long time, and a quick swipe of his mind told me that he was on the fence.

  “What is it that you think you will find if you spend more time in the Crypto Bank?” he asked finally. He seemed genuinely curious.

  “I don’t exactly know,” I replied honestly. “I just have this feeling that something isn’t right, and that’s where I’m most likely to figure it out.” Mac nodded his head slowly, processing my sketchy argument.

  I kept quiet. I’d already laid all my cards on the table, and at this point he was either going to agree or not.

  “Fine. You will stop assisting Donavon and spend that time in the Crypto Bank. You will remain with Griffin, though; I paired you with him because your weapons expertise is very valuable there. I will let you train the Baker girl after the school day ends. But I am warning you right now, Natalia—it is incredibly unlikely that she will even come close to scoring high enough to become a Hunter. I don’t want you filling her head with false hope. The girl will take the Crypto Placement Exam in addition to the Hunters’ Exam. I implore you to make sure that she is adequately prepared for both. In a fight, her Higher Reasoning will be of no advantage,” he warned.

  “I suppose that we’ll have to agree to disagree on that last part.” I smiled triumphantly at him. He made a noncommittal noise in response. Not wanting to give him an opportunity to change his mind, I turned to leave.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “Natalia?” he called.

  I turned back. “Yes?” I asked.

  “Please stay focused right now. One of your greatest strengths is your focus and dedication to the ultimate goal to TOXIC. Do not lose that now. Let’s find this spy and get you better, so that you can return to the reason that you are here.” He paused before finishing, but I didn’t need him to finish his sentiments; I read the words out of his mind. I took a deep breath and readied myself for him to speak them aloud.

  “You are here to avenge your parents’ deaths. You made that choice. I gave you the option to return to Capri, but you chose to come to the McDonough School.”

  “I know,” I replied weakly.

  “Do you still want to help track down Crane? Do you want another chance to kill him?”

  “Of course, I do!” I exclaimed defensively.

  “Then find the spy so that we can interrogate him and find out what we need to know.”

  “Like you had me do to Ernest?” I knew that I’d gone too far the moment the words were out of my mouth.

  “I am sorry about what happened to Ernest. I really am. But we are at war, Natalia, and if it means that a few innocent people get hurt in the process, then that is a risk I will take. Every time.” His voice was scarily calm.

  Once again, Ian Crane’s words played in my mind. “You have no idea what your Agency does to innocent people.”

  “That’s easy for you to say, Mac; you’re not the one who has to live with the consequences of what you personally did in the name of war,” I spat back, my temper clouding my better judgment.

  “You have no idea of the sacrifices that I have made in the name of war.” Mac’s voice rose an octave, and I feared that he would bare his teeth the way he had in my hospital room. “Do. Not. Let. Your parents’ deaths have been in vain.” He punctuated every word in a low voice that sounded more animal than human, but at least no pointy canines flashed over his bloodless lips.

  “I will find the spy.” I spun and fled Mac’s office before he could say anything else, my victory concerning Kenly long forgotten.

  ***

  “You’re late,” Penny declared as I walked into the cafeteria after my meeting with Mac.

  “Sorry,” I replied absently. “I had to meet with Mac about something.”

  “What’s up? Did you find something about the spy today?” she asked hopefully.

  “Oh, no, nothing like that,” I said.

  I told her all about Kenly, and how I hoped that if I helped her train I could make her into a Hunter. Penny thought my idea was great, and she agreed that having a team member with analytical skills would be an invaluable asset in the field. Her enthusiasm for my plan renewed my own. She too seemed intrigued by the fact that Kenly was a dual Talent. I was thrilled to have Penny as a sounding board, and we bounced ideas back and forth until the cafeteria staff kicked us out.

  My day had been such a roller coaster of emotions that I was mentally exhausted, and I returned to my room after dinner. Penny told me that she would be in the Crypto Bank tomorrow evening, and I promised to head over as soon as I finished helping Captain Alvarez.

  I was in a good mood when I reached my room. My communicator was blinking and beeping furiously on my side table when I entered. Selecting the voice button, I went in my bathroom to get ready for bed. I listened to Donavon’s voice fill the room as I brushed my teeth and washed my face. After I’d finished my nightly routine, I hit the reply button on my communicator and waited. As soon as Donavon answered, a mini hologram of him popped out of the communicator.

  “Don’t put me on hologram; I’m already in my pajamas,” I whined when he answered.

  “Exactly what I was hoping for,” he replied, the mini-Donavon suggestively wagging its eyebrows. With a pang, I thought of how Erik always wiggled his eyebrows when he was being crass.

  “You called?” I asked, hurriedly changing the subject.

  “Yeah, just wanted to make sure you’re feeling okay,” he said.

  “I’m good,” I answered with a half-truth. Physically, I’d felt great all day. Emotionally, I was still raw from my encounters with Ernest and Mac.

  “What’s wrong, Talia?” he asked, sensing my dishonesty.

  “Nothing,” I mumbled, not wanting to recount my taxing day.

  “I’m coming over,” he declared.

  “Not necessary,” I insisted.

  “I can tell that it is. You should’ve told me; I would have gone to see Ernest with you.” Damn, our connection was still strong enough for him to pick up on my mental projections across the building. It was also a possibility that his father had told him; I felt certain that Dr. Thistler had gone straight to Mac after my breakdown in Ernest’s room.

  “I don’t want to talk about it, Donavon,” I warned.

  “Then we won’t talk. I’m on my way now, though.” The mini-hologram Donavon disappeared when he disconnected.

  True to his word, Donavon quietly knocked on my door just minutes later. Reluctantly, I opened it and let him in. Donavon said nothing as he came over and kissed me softly on the top of my head. He pulled the covers back on the bed and waited while I climbed in. I scooted all the way over to the side closest to the wall, keeping my back to him. Donavon kicked off his shoes and crawled in behind me. I lifted my head and he slid his arm underneath it. One hand absently played with my hair while his other sought out my hand, threading our fingers together.

  Penny’s words filled my head, followed by my own promise to be careful where he was concerned.

  “Tal, I can’t tell you how sorry I am about what happened. I wish that I could take it all back, but I can’t. I care about you so much, and I know that there’s a lot going on right now. I just want to help you. I will do anything I can for you,” Donavon urged. “You can trust me, Natalia. I will never hurt you again. If it takes the rest of my life, I will make you see that you can trust me, that I am sorry, and that I love you.”

  “Did you tell her that you loved her too?” I whispered. I didn’t really want to, but I had to know.

  “No, I never told Kandice that I loved her. It would’ve been a lie,” he replied, tightening his fingers around mine.

  I wanted to believe him, but his mental barriers shot up, letting me know he was lying to me.

  “You should go, Donavon,” I said quietly, tears filling my eyes.

  “No, Talia. I’m not leaving. You can’t honestly tell me that you don’t still have feelings for me, can you?”

  I did still have feelings for Donavon. I still cared so much that knowing that he was lying to me broke my heart all over again. “If you love me, if you still care about me, then tell me the truth, Donavon. Did you tell her that you loved her?”

  Donavon swallowed hard. “Yes, I did,” he whispered.

  A sob tore through my chest, and I yanked my hand free from his. “Get out!” I cried.

  Donavon sat up, but didn’t leave my bed. “Tal, please, let’s talk about this,” he pleaded.

  I shot up and scrambled to lean against the wall. Shadows danced across his features and a thin strip of moonlight illuminated his shiny blue eyes. Hot anger coursed through my veins, and the urge to attack him was too strong to suppress. My hand shot out and I slapped him across his face. Donavon didn’t raise a finger to defend himself. His complacent demeanor infuriated me further, and I balled my fists and pounded on his chest, sobbing hysterically.

  When my blows slowed, Donavon wrapped his fingers around my wrists and pulled me to him.

  “I’m so sorry, Talia, I’m so sorry,” he repeated over and over again.

  Donavon let me cry until my wails gave way to hiccups and my breath came in ragged gasps. My head spun even as I buried my face in his shirt. Though my cries had subsided, I still couldn’t breathe right; my chest felt so tight, and a searing pain accompanied every breath. The trembling in my arms and legs became worse instead of better. The rigidness left my muscles and I sagged against Donavon, a violently quaking puddle of limbs. Then my jaw clenched and air hissed through my barely parted lips.

  “Tal?” Donavon asked in alarm.

  I couldn’t answer him; I couldn’t say anything. I couldn’t even find the wherewithal to communicate mentally.

  “Crap, crap, crap,” I heard Donavon chant from somewhere far away.

  My vision and hearing were fading fast, and I knew that I would soon be unconscious. Terrified, I scratched weakly at his t-shirt, willing him to understand that I was having a seizure, and I needed him to call Dr. Thistler.

  The message must’ve gotten through because I heard him screaming into my communicator seconds later.

  “Dad! Dad! You have to get down here—it’s Talia! She’s convulsing. I think she’s having a seizure!”

  Then his lips were next to my ear, and my head knocked against his as the spasms racked through my body.

  “Hold on, Tal. Help is coming,” he promised. "Just hold on."